Outlook: Jefferson single-handedly makes the defense good. Add players such as Merchant and Griffin and the defense will be solid. The questions come on offense, not in the backfield, where Carter returns along with the talented Givens. But the offensive line is young and inexperienced. There are no starters or seniors among this group.

Outlook: The challenge for the Crusaders is to find a way to replace its offensive leader, John Wolford, one of the country’s most prolific quarterbacks who is now starting at Wake Forest. With the offensive numbers bound to decrease, BK’s defense will be asked to do more. Six starters return on that side of the ball, but three of the four linebackers will be new and will need some time to gain game experience.

Outlook: Trinity Christian’s loss was Paxon’s gain when twins Mark and Mike Smith transferred in. They’ll likely become instant starters. There’s size and talent with two-way player White, who figures to rank among the top linemen in the city this year. Wright was the team’s second-leading rusher a year ago and guided the Golden Eagles to four wins in five games when he became a starter.

Outlook: Flynn must find a way to overcome the loss of 32 seniors. Boston could be one of the top receivers in the area and the Trojans will look for various ways to get him the ball. Mays has the potential and size to be a dominant offensive tackle. Zellars will likely be the starter at quarterback as a freshman. How quickly he matures could determine the Trojans success.

Outlook: Examond broke his leg against Fletcher in the 2013 season opener and was out all year. The team’s leading rusher in 2012 is now healthy. With 4.65-second speed in the 40 and at 205 pounds, he could be among the area’s top running backs. Linzmaier is a three-year starter who moves to the center spot this season to anchor an offensive line that should be the Blue Devils’ biggest in the last 10 years.

Outlook: Rodney DuBose returns for his second season at the school formerly known as Forrest, confident that the growing pains of implementing a new system are now behind him and the team is ready to improve on last year’s 1-9 mark. His son, Amari, returns at quarterback after starting as a sophomore. A pair of bookend tackles featuring Jasper should make the offense better.

Outlook: “We’ve got to win the trust of the kids, that’s our first challenge,” said Bullock, who didn’t arrive at the school until July. “And we need to develop some continuity within the program. Our goal this year is to be competitive in every game.” The Wolfpack will rely on a solid secondary, one that Bullock calls “as good as anyone in the city.” Wise needs to develop quickly to lead a young offense.

Outlook: Five consecutive seasons of winning at least seven games has the Hornets wanting even more. It might happen, as several quality returning players could help the team reach double figure-wins this year. Peacock is the team’s top returning rusher as a sophomore. His size has some drawing comparisons to another former Hornets standout runner —Derrick Henry, now starring at Alabama.

Outlook: Baker and Howard provide leadership, size and skill on the offensive line to make it a team strength. It will need to be a strong suit, as Hoekstra had to bring wide receiver JT Turner in to play the quarterback spot after Jacob Smith tore his ACL in spring workouts. Grayer returns after a standout junior season in which he was named Clay County defensive player of the year.

Outlook: The Falcons missed the playoffs, but wound up in a bowl game in 2013 and topped a good Pensacola Escambia squad. More size and skilled players return this year. Steward is solid as a linebacker and difficult to bring down as a fullback. Roden and Robbins are tough to move along the line. If the offense jells behind newcomer Vallone at quarterback, the Falcons could make a push for the postseason.

Palatka

Head coach: Randy Hedstrom (first year).

Last year: 6-5, lost in the region quarterfinals to Bishop Kenny, 44-22.

Outlook: The Panthers have some quality players at the skill spots, led by quarterback Smith. He’s a dual-threat player. Honor is the team’s top running back and Berry has excellent speed to get open. The Panthers are not big ,but will rely more on their speed for success.

Outlook: Toblin, the former head coach at Clay, gets his second head coaching job in the area. He spent two seasons at Southern Oregon University as defensive coordinator and was an assistant at Ponte Vedra last year. “I missed high school ball and I missed this area,” he said. A strong believer in character development, Toblin is first trying to get the Sharks to believe in him and the staff. Rebuilding from 2-8 starts with the likes of Mayers, Parker and Barker, three standouts on the line.

Outlook: Ridgeview faithful must make the adjustment of no Tom MacPherson, who had been with the program since Day 1. He opted to take the opening at Baker County. Libretto will have some talented players to work with, including Ziegler, a quality receiver. The Panthers lack size, however, and will need to rely on speed more than bulk.

STORYLINES

Can Jackson Bradley replace John Wolford at quarterback for Bishop Kenny?

Yes, he can replace him, but he can’t replace the gaudy numbers that Wolford put up, including 3,317 passing yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior last year. Wolford also managed 13,403 career yards of total offense, along with 162 touchdowns. Jackson is a transfer from Episcopal who was able to practice with the team last spring, although he couldn’t play in the spring game. Getting Jackson situated with the Kenny offense has been head coach Mark Thorson’s fall challenge. “We’re still trying to figure out what he does best and how he fits into our schemes,” Thorson said. “We know he’s got a big arm, he’s a classic throwing quarterback. What I don’t have a good feel for yet is how good he runs the ball.” Adding to the challenge is the fact that Cam Singletary, the team’s leading rusher the past couple of seasons, has also graduated. Kenny does have three starters back on the offensive line led by Tyler Jordan, a Florida commit who might just be the best lineman in the area this year. Kenny scored at least 30 points every game last year but Thorson knows that’s not realistic to think that this year’s team can match that. “We were prolific on offense last year, but we can’t expect to do those same things. We’ll have to rely more on the defense this year,” he said.

What’s with all the new coaches in 5A this season?

Five coaches will begin their first season at a 5A school in 2014. Not all are making their coaching debuts however. Tom MacPherson moves from Ridgeview where he had been head coach for the past 15 years, and takes over the program at Baker County. Matt Toblin returns to this area as head coach at Ponte Vedra after a two-year stint at a small college in Oregon and then one season as an assistant with the Sharks. Prior to that, Toblin was head coach at Clay for two seasons. Charlie Libretto received a promotion at Ridgeview to replace MacPherson with whom he served as an assistant coach for five seasons. Randy Hedstrom was out of coaching for 10 years but returns to Palatka where he was a linebacker for the Panthers in the late 1970s and later served as assistant coach at his alma mater in the 1990s. He also guided Palatka to five consecutive state championships in weightlifting 1991-95. At Wolfson, Toby Bullock became the third coach for the Wolfpack in the last year. The former Creekside offensive coordinator took the head coaching position in late June after Tom Williams stepped down from the spot just 24 days on the job. In addition to the five new coaches, four other 5A coaches are in their second year at their current school. That makes it nine new 5A hires (out of 13 schools) in a year’s time.

Will there be a game in 2014 to match the 74-73 playoff contest last year between Clay and Bishop Kenny?

Possibly ... in basketball, but not likely in football. The regional seminfinal game hosted by Kenny qualified as an instant classic. The two teams combined for 147 points and 1,472 yards of offense in Clay’s one-point thriller that wasn’t decided until Blue Devils quarterback Wes Weeks scored the game-winning touchdown on a 10-yard run and Clay dodged the Crusaders’ final drive. For Clay, it was the second of four playoff wins that ended with a loss to American Heritage in the state championship game.